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A Modest Start for Kagan

Countering Charges of Activism, Court Nominee Says She Will Be 'Deferential'

By

Naftali Bendavid And

Nathan Koppel

Updated June 29, 2010 12:01 a.m. ET

WASHINGTON—Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan on Monday sought to counter conservative critics' assertion that she is a liberal activist who would bring a political agenda to the court, promising to respect the "often messy" democratic process.

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